The Full Story

My Journey

I was fortunate enough to grow up in Devon, to the south west of England and like many of us down that way we spent a lot of time walking across the countryside, along river banks and through woodlands. Regardless of the weather we spent as much time as we could outdoors.

My first memories of building things come from that time, scouring the undergrowth for suitably shaped fallen branches in order to build dens. Over the years I have often voted to re-visit those places and to walk those old routes, simply for the memories that are sparked.

Since the very beginning, I've been in awe of well designed, well manufactured functional items. Like many children I had a desire to take things apart, see whats inside and then attempt to reassemble them. I remember both of my parents being creative, however It was my late grandfather Donald who was responsible for sparking my interest in woodworking. When I was 8 years old he commissioned the construction of a steel narrow-boat and together with his brother they set about fitting it out. Aside from this, whichever house my grandparents lived in there was always a space designated and referred to as the workshop, a place that I was always keen to look around in wonder and also a place where he would on occasion help me bring my wood project ideas to life.

I left Devon at 18 and moved to West Sussex to study for a degree in environmental science, I had ideas of saving the planet and with a care for wildlife this seemed appropriate.

The world can often take us in different directions and after moving to Portsmouth and becoming a father I needed to work and it was clear that I needed to chose another career path. Given that I had owned tools for as long as I could remember, I had basic skills and most importantly I enjoyed building things, I found myself working with a friend who was a kitchen fitter. As soon as I could, I got myself on to a carpentry and joinery course, During which An instructor often accused me of being a perfectionist. They kept my sash window to use as their example, so I guess my hand skills were up to scratch. As much as I did enjoy that type of carpentry, something was still missing. In 2008 A boat builder and very good friend of mine came to me with an idea and a wreck of a fiberglass shell with a hole in the bottom. The idea was that I would pay for the materials, he would teach me and we would work on it together in my garden. Over those few months the boat was transformed and I learnt a lot. It was a fantastic experience and on the back of this quick-fire boat-building course along with my joinery skills I manged to get a job with a local boat builder. during this time I was given a small dinghy to repair and restore for a gentleman who had sailed in it with his grandfather, he wanted to do the same with his son and was willing to pay 3 times the value of the boat for this which blew my mind. I found this idea to be romantic and I thoroughly enjoyed the project. Halfway through the job I was concentrating on something and over my shoulder I heard a voice say, "With joints like that you ought to be a Furniture maker". Soon enough I was on a furniture making course training alongside the Rolls Royce apprentices. I was given the opportunity to design and build furniture of my own conjuring, limited only by my imagination and some basic design principles and practicalities. I had found what I loved to do.

Throughout my time as a maker I have made numerous frames for people and been asked to make various different types of picture frame. In 2014 one of my very best friends wanted to include me in his woodland themed wedding preparations and asked me to not only make candle holders and table name boards but to make a set of frames to display the seating plans for the wedding breakfast. I thought about this for a while but really I already knew what I wanted to do. I had previously spotted a Yew board in a Friends barn, there was a short negotiation and I set to work. Its safe to say that they were pleased with my wedding gift. The experience of this gesture changed how I made frames going forward, from that point I continued to make frames for people, forming them with thought and putting them together in as organic and flowing way possible, seeking symmetry and attempting to make them look as though the tree had grown them that way. I try to apply this to most of my builds, attempting to build furniture in a way that accentuates the grain patterns and highlights natural form, demonstrating gratitude to the tree for providing the timber.

Over the past 10 years I have done a few different things including working for a bespoke kitchen building company in Different areas of their production line and returning to the boat yard in Emsworth where I still carry out some works for Classic Yacht Services, Maintaining, repairing and restoring old wooden boats, of which it seems there are many in this part of the world.

I have continued to design and build furniture. I have always had a workbench or a workspace and have progressively built my tool and machinery arsenal, moving from my spare room and a workbench in the garden to a double garage sized shed deep in the forest and then with the help of a business grant I moved to my current unit in Hunston at the beginning of 2024. The journey has been a long one, yet somehow I still feel like it has only just begun.

The Idea.

A starting point.

Possibly the hardest thing to imagine.

Since long before the dawn of humans, our ancestors have been building from the trees, one could argue that almost everything that could be built out of wood has been designed and built and designed again, in many cases to an unfathomable standard. As woodworkers, we are often looking at other peoples work with complete and utter awe. To come up with something different, something that may grab someones attention often feels like an impossible task. I had to pick an idea, somewhere to start from, that's why Framed By The Forest, It evolved, I was spending a lot of time in the forest, driving half a mile up a track to my little workshop and what better place is there to draw inspiration from and embark on a furniture making journey than in the forest itself.

My Vision.

There is a certain Euphoria we get from having an idea and seeing it through to completion, it's part of the satisfaction that comes from having the skills to create what we have imagined.

To commission, to buy or to be gifted something that the craftsman has taken incredible pleasure from making is the top end of conscientious living, it feeds in to the better part of our human nature and is the reason why most of us are not comfortable with spending our money on products that are a result of exploitation. There is a clear difference between something that is put together with enthusiasm and excitement and something that is a product of just another day at work.

My whole adult life I have gifted people with presents that were created as one offs for specific occasions, throughout my sons childhood it was my mission to build him individual gifts that nobody else in the world had, from fancy dress props such as wizard staffs and magic wands to intricate chess boards with the pieces to match.

Framed By The Forest is my opportunity to provide you with unique as a service.